ABB Board Was Irked
By Kindle's Lack of Deals

Chairman and CEO
Had Different Views;
Tensions Were Brewing

By

Goran Mijuk

Updated Feb. 19, 2008 12:01 a.m. ET

ZURICH -- Fred Kindle, whose unexpected departure as chief executive of ABB Ltd. was announced last week, was ousted by the board of the Swiss engineering company for his failure to make acquisitions, among other things, according to people familiar with the matter.

The decision to force out Mr. Kindle, who had been CEO since 2005, was instigated by ABB Chairman Hubertus von Gr&uuml;nberg, who was frustrated by the slow pace of...